Dealing with the Ancients
by Foxdog
Summary: Seventeen years post war the two races now must face another problem, the fabled Kitsune. This story takes place around a outcast fox-boy that must find his way in life while the hostilities of THREE races weigh upon him.
1. Chapter I

This is my first fan fiction. I never really wrote one before. I hope this isn't lame or anything. I've noticed I haven't really received any reviews so, I don't know. But to clarify a few things, Kitsune Is a magical fox spirit like thing. In here, they aren't magical. I hope you readers enjoy the fan fiction.

-Kino ran after the fox-boy, she couldn't keep up but she had to catch him. She watched as he jumped up onto a fire-escape in a single bound. It was hard not to believe he wasn't human when you first looked at him, but he could do more than any other human could, like being faster, and jumping higher than any child his age let alone any human could. The red haired boy had shoulder length hair and he wore ragged clothing. His body length tail keeping him balanced behind him. He chanced a glance back and saw that Kino and the men that were after him were close behind. His molten yellow eyes taking the whole seen in before he concentrated harder on getting up to the roof. "KITO! Come back down here!" Kino yelled as she reached the fire escape. "Everything will be okay. No one wants to hurt you." She herd the sudden ring of a gun shot as one of the men to aim and barley missed his hand. He doubled his efforts and was soon on the roof. "STOP IT! He is just a kid!"

She yelled pushing the man who had fired. "We want him alive" Said the other man stopping his companion from striking Kino. She was three months with child and she had to go and run after a twelve year old. Eventually they reached the roof and there he stood on the other side at the edge of the building. "It's a seven story drop kid. No way out of this. Just come quietly and we won't hurt you," The man said. "Much." Kino began to run the remaining distance but she stopped when Kito took a step closer to the ledge. "I'll see you real soon Kino." The boy said after turning around. "But not until they stop chasing me." He held his arms out straight and fell backward. "NO!" She screamed as she ran to the ledge only to see Kito jump of a pole using it like a trampoline to gain enough momentum to reach the building thirty feet away. "How does he do that?" She asked out loud. The lead man cursed "Mission failed. This was our last chance." The other mind stopped at his side.

"We can still track him and bring him-" The other man cut him off "I'm not wasting my life chasing him around the world. I have been doing this for five years. FIVE years wasted." The other man yelled. "No good has ever come out of it. Not even a fiber of his hair." The men turned around. They wore trench coats and shades with a wireless head set around there left ears. "We could use her." He the first suggested. The second man sighed.

"He wouldn't come for her and we can't harm her because of the council. She's in with that Hayami guy and his little pet. Unless you have a death wish, drop it." The men walked away.

It was five years later sense that incident. Kito Was seventeen now. He didn't even bother to try and hide his fox ears that stuck up out of his red hair. He wore a gray shirt and blue jean shorts that use to be pants until they were cut just below the knees. He stared up the walk way of a house that faced the harbor. It was, from what he could tell, a three or four bedroom house. It was two stories tall and covered in gray vinyl. It was still made in a Japanese fashion. He walked up the concrete steps to the front door. There was a note written in Japanese on the door. It was short and was signed by Kino judging by her hand writing. He tried to decipher it but he couldn't read the Japanese language. He could understand it for sure, but he couldn't read it. He knocked on the door trying to be careful not to scratch it. Kito waited for a moment then tried again. He had been there for several moments until he finally gave up and went back to the garden wall where his satchel and shoulder bag was. He sat on the wall and stared out into the endless sea. He barely noticed the hours go by as he wandered up and down the top of the wall. He perked his ears up when he heard foot steps and he turned around to see the source. There walking down the bath with two children walking with her and a baby in her arms was his foster mother Kino.

Kino looked up from her cup of tea. "It's been three months sense I last seen you. What have you been up to Kito?" She asked with a somber mood. "You just disappear you know." She watched him as he stared at his cup of tea. They were sitting in the dinning room. The children were taking their nap and Kino had been eager to hear Kito's doings. "You smell the same Kino, same red hair, brown eyes. But I'm not talking to Kino anymore am I? Not the Kino I know." He lifted his gaze and searched for something in her eyes. "Where has your fire gone?" Kino was use to his mannerism, or how he talked. It wasn't like the way normal people spoke. But he wasn't normal, he was trying to.

"Things change Kito. Three kids and having a husband I had to burry." She said, her look growing from somber to a depression. She gave a little smile before saying, "But you never change Kito. You just got bigger. You're the same quiet fox-boy I found on my door step looking for a bite to eat nine years ago." She looked him up and down as if she was searching for something. "You still never told me how you ended up from all the way out in New Harbor Town to here." She smiled an actual smile when he looked up cocking his head with a curious look. "You just simply answer with the same thing over and over." He took a sip and took a few seconds to consider whether or not to answer her and then he shrugged. "Same way I got here last time. I flew. Though what I didn't tell you then was what I flew threw." He said with a blank face. Kino knew he was smiling on the inside. "So then, why do you have a boat?" She asked trying to catch him at his confusing game." He didn't take long to answer. "To have a place to keep my stuff, I tend to accumulate some of the oddest of things." He smiled before adding, "I sold my boat and made myself a sub from old trailers. The ones you humans use to use for freight." She frowned at the phrase 'you humans'. It seemed odd to talk to someone who looked so much like one, yet wasn't. Kito guessed her thought by her change in expression. "I'm sorry Kino. I forget that your not comfortable about that. Having a son that isn't human....." He trailed off for a moment. Kino smiled. "Yes, my son. I don't care what you are Kito, Your my son. I'm proud to say that." She said as she considered him for a moment. "That and I have to many daughters."

The both laughed for a moment but the mood returned to a depression. "Kino, it's your time to move on. You're suffocating yourself in this house." Kito said with a saddened look. "You're all broken in side and I can't fix you like a picture or a plate. You need to go." Kino looked surprised but said nothing. Kito continued, "What about Mr. Tetsu? You where found of him once as a good friend. Maybe moving closer to him would be good." Kino darkened at the though. "He has his own family Kito. He has his own wife." She answered. Kito was undeterred. "That's not what I meant. He's your friend, your families could look after one another." Kito said with a simple composure. Kino closed her eyes and replied, "He likes his privacy." Kino looked away and stayed silent for a moment trying to think of away to get around Kito. She knew Kito was trying to get her away, she didn't want to leave, but. "So, what have you been up to all this time Kito?" Kito smiled. "You think like a fox, Kino." He said. She was afraid he would continue trying to move her toward leaving but he stayed silent with that same old smile.

Kito took hours to reveal his story. He explained how he had come to fine a half sunken oil rig that he had secretly been working on for years. He went on in detail about how he had raised it and how he had taken so long to repair and keep it afloat. Afterwards he went on about his underwater adventures on sketching the chimeras. "The small Mutio are curious and friendlier than the big gray ones. The gray ones try to eat me but they are slow because of their size. But still they are difficult to drawl while your avoiding those enormous teeth!" Kito rambled holding his hands apart to show Kino how big the fangs where.


	2. Chapter II

Kino was happy, she had her Kito back. She had listened to him recite his adventures for well over three hours. She had barley noticed her two daughters had stepped out and stood to either side of her. They were twins about five years old that both had orange hair. She guessed because she had red and her late husband was a blond that was the reason why. They both wore a simple yellow dress with flower patterns chained around the hem of their dresses. Each flower was about two inches wide around and where a dandelion shape. "And so I live at the rig, tending to the gardens." Kito finished. "RIN! ZIN!" Kito loped around in a few bound. He was upon them in only a few second with one in both arms as he hugged his sister, or who he considered so. "Kito, if you hug them any tighter they might turn blue." Kino teased."Kito hugged them both once more before he stood up again. "I came for another reason Kino, sisters…" He said. Kino raised and eyebrow.

"Sense you don't seem to want to move to Mr. Tetsu's," He trailed off to add suspense. "Why not come and live with me? I don't want you all living here, not anymore. It's to depressing here. Sorrow has bred here and it's time to move on." Kito looked as if she was shocked and her look soon turned into anger. "Can we Mommy?" Asked Zin who was to Kino's left. "Can we?" Asked Rin to Kino's other side. They both gave their mother a sad whimpering look; well taught by their big brother who use to be a master at 'puppy eyes'. Kino couldn't help but laugh. She came out of her fit a few moments later and gave Kito a severe look. "You've become a real trickster haven't you Kito?" She exclaimed. Kito simply gave her a faint grin.

"I am a fox you know. What do you expect me to do? I'm not going to leave you and my sisters here. Next to this I would have had to kidnap you and move everything. I've reached my ultimatum about getting you away from here." Kino looked at him. _What do you really want Kito?_ She asked herself. Kito sighed, a hint of worry crossed his face but he straightened it immediately. He walked to the front door and stood looking at it. "Where are you going?" Kino exclaimed worried that he was leaving again. _He's never left before a week why so soon?_ She asked herself. She watched him. Kito keened a long sorrowful sound. It was high pitch, like the whimper of a dog, she almost missed it. "Why do you want us to leave so badly? What's wrong?" Kito stood still for a moment. Silence, utter and drowning silence went on. Kino was starting to become impatient just when Kito replied, "I can't tell you yet. It's not safe."

It had been five days sense Kito had arrived. He helped his family pack and moved their stuff into his ship. He made sure that they left things behind in order to make it look like they where just putting their stuff in storage. Beds, food, and most major furniture that wasn't sentimental were left behind. On the end of the week Kito stood in the house alone with a customized Winchester rifle. The gun had two bayonets set on the top and bottom for stabbing and slashing. Silver was etched into the blades. Kito stood in a dark corner watching the windows and doors. He waited there silently for hours and the night wore on. He was staring down at his feet when he heard a crash. It was from a window shatter. Quickly fire spread through out the house. _I'm glad I got them out of here. I couldn't stand it if I knew they would….. _He though. He shuddered out the frightening sorrowful images that fallowed. Fire surrounded him very quickly. Kito Felt the fire and he let his mind wander; it first touched the heated air that he quickly wove into a thin shield around his body. Kito was a psychic, more over he was a true kitsune. He couldn't fly like his ancestors could. Not through air at least, but how wonderful the feeling of water running across his body at such a quick pace.

He shook himself back into reality. The place he was raised was burning around him. And so was his anger, he walked to the window and saw figures outside. They looked like fox-hybrids but he knew better. Kito took aim and fired. The bullet hit true, he aimed again and fired, the dazed fiends struggling to pull themselves into reality. Kito's rage burned like the inferno of his home is now. He ran towards his kin, he ran carrying the burning inferno with him and he stabbed at them and torched them with the fire his kin wield through the ages. He bit into them with the deadly silver that ad killed so many of his kin. The streets were cleaned of his foes. He had to work fast. Kito grabbed the carcasses and struggled to drag them into the fire to cover up the evidence before people noticed. He dragged them one by one into the center of his home. They would burn. They would all burn for threatening those he loved most.


	3. Chapter III

Well on to my third chapter. Kito's started out as what the heck is he? Do you think he's still the same "what the heck?" I'm sorry I'm not really a good author I guess but I like Kitsune characters and I loved BS6. On with chapter III!  
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Kino watched the news on the television. It had been three hours sense they had set off and that had been the moment her son got back. The television signal came from the newly erected analog signal that they had just managed to set up five years ago. She watched as a reporter went over about the recent fire accident. "_So this is why he tried to make us leave." _ Kino though to herself as she turned her attention to the scrap book Kito had given to her.

"_But why did he keep it to himself."_ She read the book; it was completely composed of scraps of folk lore that had to deal with wolves, foxes and dogs, many of them where fables. Few she recognized but the ones she did she read. The lore stretching from cultures that where diverse as humans are. It went from Japanese to Norse and from English to Native American and even some she had never herd of. There were even some werewolf sightings and information about them. She smiled at the scribbles in the margin sifting through what was true, false and plausible. She shook her head as she said aloud, "How could I have not noticed?" She smiled as she remembered all the times she though of Kito as a half-breed. Kito would get so anger with her and always told her otherwise that he wasn't one of Zorndyke's creatures and was no way related to them. She had never listened. But now Kito had given her something that convinced her otherwise. He had recorded what he knew about himself, his ability to reach out at things that he himself nearly touched and move them. It was a sad excuse for a psychic but applied right, she realized, and Kito could do things that mundanely where impossible. Like how he could jump off a building that was five stories tall and survive or better yet, how he could swim. Kito made it a point that his kind couldn't swim very well or at all and if it wasn't for his ability to fly, he would sink like a rock.

Kino looked around the makeshift submarine. It wasn't very big, it was kind of cramped if anything, but it was cozy. Kito had let them have his room and he stayed at the bridge. He had perfected the auto-pilot as best he could so he could at least take a rest and correct it when he woke up. The submarine was skillfully built for one person. Kino knocked on the bridge door. Metallic banging resounded from bulkhead to bulkhead. "Ye-… Yes?" Kito said as he opened the door. "Oh, hey Ki-" _Smack _Kito turned his face with her hand to cushion the blow. It still left a bright red mark. "WHY DIDN'T YOU JUST TELL ME!!!!" She shouted. Kito rubbed his face, he gave her a blank look "Think!" He said and shut the door quick before she could react. "KITO!" She pounded on the door for five minutes before he opened the door again. He had an irritated look about him. "Think Kino! Why would I keep something like that from my family?" He said and bared his fangs. She went to smack him again but the half snarl half growl that resonated from his throat scared her stiff. It was a deep and menacing, his face dark and his eyes bore into hers, "Why Kino? To protect those I love. I would Kill, and leave a read sea if I had to, in order to protect the ones I love." He said with a calm but menacing voice. He let his features become more neutral before he continued. "You have no clue what torture I have gone through to insure you and my sister's safety. What I couldn't tell, who I had to fight. I'm always called the Bastard Dog's child. I never understood what they meant until I got older. I never knew why people wanted me so much."

Kino starred at him, she was in a half daze but she listened, what horrors Kito went through she could only imagine. "That night I tasted my first blood from my own kin. I burnt them in their own fire, the fire that burned my childhood away. Used the most dishonorable weapon my kind could think of." He closed his eyes and sighed. "Silver?" She asked under her breath. He nodded. "It doesn't matter much. I'm an outcast and I'm _hunted_. So I guess…" He trailed off and shook his head. "Well…." He turned to her and gave her a half smile. "What?" She asked him only imagining what else he would say. "What?" Kito Smiled as he turned to look into a drawer. He pooled a picture off a white haired girl about his age sitting next to him on wreckage. She wore a kimono with cherry blossom patterns running through a grayish white background from her left shoulder to her opposite hip and then to her opposite foot. She looked so much like Kito. Kino smile as he handed the photo to her. "So, is she your girl friend?" She asked. Kito grimaced with a disgusted look and turned red, how red one could get when their fur and hair was a good question. "NO! She's my twin!" Kito said with an insulted look.

"Oh." Kino looked at the girl, vixen or whatever they referred to themselves as. "Shame, she's a keeper." She observed. Kito gagged at the remark and shook his head. Kino smiled. "Do you love her?" Kito looked at his toes and shuffled his feet. "I found her locked in a prison. I was locked there myself but they couldn't keep me there." Kito said, his face going from pink to red. "She nearly killed me when I released her. Imprisoned for so long she almost forgot what it was like to be what we are." Kino shuddered. "I never told you this to protect her from them. I didn't know myself. But, I knew when she turned back." He added. Kino looked puzzled. "Turned back, what do you mean?" She asked with an astonished look. "I never saw you change into anything. Is your kind some sort of werewolves or something?"

Kito looked up to her and smiled. "Yes, actually we are. We have no cycle to fallow by and we don't change into 'wolves' per say. We aren't foxes either." He said as he picked up his scrap book. "Yes you have actually. We can turn into anything between a human and the creature that is our more feral form." Kino looked at him, her puzzled look transforming into a confused look. "Wait, so that's why you can change your ears?" she asked, trying to straiten things out. Kito nodded. "Our bones are hollow and fractured in places to allow us to change our futures. Our fur is retractable as well. All and all our advantage is being able to live unnoticed while inside your race. It is how we have adapted for the last thousand or so years. We had to, your kind are more violent than mine. It's actually a miracle we survived all these years." He had a pang of guilt for reminding her that they where not the same race. Kino realized it from his expression. "It's ok, I know." She said and then asked, "But your race where full of powerful beings. I mean your race could control fire and move things hundreds of times your own weight. How is it that humans could possibly have been a match?"

She looked at him as if he was being silly but Kito shook his head. "Because your kind could do so too and much, much more." He answered as he got up and walked to a bookshelf. "We can't move mountains. Humans can't either. We can't change lead into gold or create. We don't live forever either. There are many things humans and kitsune can't do. But Humans where by far strong than our race. They were called dragons." Kito paused and then added. "Kitsune can't **make** fire. And controlling it was a rare gift. Our kind were gifted with changing our shape. Humans had power and they are resilient. We endure for some hundred years but it is easy to kill us. We can regenerate our tails at least, but humans. Well they are just stronger." He said and then he fell silent and sat down.

"We hide. Others try to conquer and they where wiped out. We kind of helped. Most of my race is shy and peaceful. There are others that are malevolent and we had to restrain them. My race has lost its power as yours did. It's a rarity to find someone like me." He closed his eyes and sighed. "So, why did you leave them?" Kino asked as she sat next to him. "Isn't it safer to live with your own?" Kito laughed. "My kind is very meticulous about how the laws and taboos are enforced. I'm a bastard's son and so my sister and I where banished when we were weaned. My mother was betrothed and she loved and married another. That's how things are. Though, my sister was separated from me." Kino ran her fingers don his spine as she has done many times. "So, just me, you and my daughters?" She said as she continued to stroke his spine. Kito shivered all over and loved the petting he was so familiar with.

"No, Snow and some others." He said and then asked. "You knew my twin was going to be there didn't you?" Kino kissed his forehead and smiled at him as she withdrew. "Well, I agreed to myself that if you **did** have more family that I would extend them as my own. This, Snow? I would be glad to call her my daughter if she could accept me as her mother." She left Kito there to watch after her. He smiled weakly then laid his head onto the floor. He soon fell asleep.

Well, I hope this isn't to far into supernatural. But now we understand Kito's race a little better. On to the next chapter!


	4. Chapter IV

Well this is the forth Chapter. I hope my readers aren't bored (that's if I even have any readers!) I think things will pick up from here. On with the show!

Kino examined the food on her plate. Kito was busy fixing everyone dinner and he was fixing some type of yellow vegetable that had many seeds. It had some type of green outer husk with strings running around the seeds, which were in rows. The plant was boiled and when Kino finally managed to take a bite from it she found it to be juicy. "What is this stuff Kito?" She asked after swallowing a mouthful. "And where do you get this stuff?" Kito placed the remaining dishes down on the galley table that everyone ate from. "It's called 'corn'. It's not the best vegetable to eat but it's the easiest to grow and it has a favorable taste do to the sugars that it produces." Kito answered as he went about putting slices of fish on his family's plates. "It's a type of grass and the seeds don't digest very well so you don't get a lot of nutrients from them but that's beside the point."

Kino smiled at him. He was at least talking without his mannerisms. Though now he sounded like some scientist. "Where do you get this stuff?" She asked after finishing a mouthful of fish, the meat actually having a sweet taste to it. "I don't think I've had anything like this before." Kito smiled as he scraped out some green and yellow mush from a pot. "We grow and raise it all ourselves at the home. The rig is beached up on an inlet. That fish your eating is fresh water so you may have noticed it has a less salty of a taste. And we even make ourselves cheese from animal milk that graze up in the cliffs. I think there called mountain goats." He answered as he made himself a plate. "The rig is made for three purposes. The platform has a large garden, a small orchard and a tower on it. The tower actually is shaped like an observatory but don't be fooled."

Kito paused to take a seat and grabbed a white round, fluffy ball like food. "So what is it then?" Kino asked. Rin and Zin stared at the food with reluctance and decided to listen to the brother and mother's conversation quietly, which had become a regular habit, as well as eves dropping."And what about the other sections, what are they for?" Kito took a bite from the ball and chewed before speaking. He swallowed and then answered, "The tower has an artillery peace that is surrounded by thick steel walls painted a dull gray so it's harder to see. A turret and one of the few defenses we have. The rest of the rig is taken up by living coders and recreational sections. At the bottom is a submarine bay." Kino put her fork down. "So how many people are living there exactly?" She asked and then added. "Are they safe to be around?" Kito gave her a more serious look and smiled. "I wouldn't bring you and my sisters there if they weren't safe." He said and took another bite.

"There are three families, two couples, and a small brigade of workers that I have taken in on my adventures. Some of the workers are gun hands that work as mechanics, others are welders and a few are salvagers. The rig is designed as a modern self sufficient monastery. We make our own foods and build on defenses to repel pirates." Kino raised an eyebrow. "How big is this rig exactly?" She asked. Kito first replied with a smile before taking another bite and then saying. "It's huge! It took me eight months to raise it from the sea floor!" He chuckled and then added, "I didn't do it alone, but the rig is at least a good fifty acres wide. Big enough for some farmland, a small orchard, and I've gone over this. We make our own food. Green house and open field. Steal walls make up the border. I think It took a god five years to get it where we can grow stuff on the top. The soil, plants, animals, and the people willing to live out there and help fix it up took awhile." Kino tried to find a flaw in what Kito had told her. It sounded so much like a tall tale. "I spent years Kino to get this done. I had help with some of my kin and a lot of human help to. Mr. Tetsu has helped a lot with the heavy lifting and such. I never met his family though."

Kino shook her head in disbelief."Hyami?!?" She exclaimed. Kito cocked his head and gave her a quizzical look. "Who is he?" He asked as he reached for his glass of water. He knocked it over and spilled it all over the table. "I'll go get a towel." She said trying to change the subject. Kito shook his head and raised his hand above the water and a single drop of water fell from his hand like paw towards the puddle. It never made it but instead floated just above the surface. Kino and his sisters watched on with awe while Kito gave them and impish smirk. "Have you ever heard the story of the gingerbread man?" Kito asked as he watched them shake their heads in a dull response.

A moment later the puddle had ceased and formed into the middle of the table. "Good, then I am more then glad to tell you." He said and coughed to clear his throat. "Once upon a time in a far away land there was a baker. He was busy baking ginger bread cookies in the shape of men. When he was done he left them to cool." As he spoke the water formed into the shape of Kito's story. A man made of water took a sheet and placed it on a window seal. "But little did he know, one was magical and had come to life!" And immediately things resized themselves them man made of water was a giant and the little gingerbread man was small. "And so as the gingerbread man left the pan and ran and as he did he chanted, 'Run, Run as fast as you can, you can't catch me I'm the gingerbread man!' and so the baker gave chase and the cookie man ran." And so the water man gave chase as was told. "The Baker became exhausted and the Gingerbread man got away." Kito said and then continued on for several moments before he came to the end. "And when the Gingerbread man got away he came to a fox. Run, Run as fast as you can, you can't catch me I'm the gingerbread man.' The cookie challenged but the fox simply smiled and shook his head before saying, 'Why I do no wish to catch you, Do you wish to cross the river? Perhaps I can give you a ride on my back.'" Kito smiled and the girls watched the fox as he lay down to allow the cookie on his back. "And so the gingerbread man hopped on to the fox's back and the fox crossed the river. It got a little deeper and the fox then said, 'Come upon my neck Gingerbread man, the water gets deeper and you will get soggy and wet.' And so the cookie climbed upon the fox's neck. The fox continued on and the river got deeper and then the fox said, 'come and climb on my head or else you will get wet and soggy.' And so the cookie headed the fox but became cautious. The girls started to catch on and small smirks appeared on there faces.

Kino heard her baby waking up as she started wailing. Kito sighed and let the water recede pack into a puddle but he kept it in one spot. He smiled. "I'll just be a minute." reassured Kino as she got up and left the room. Kito looked to his sisters and smiled. They smiled back. "Well, to this point you both know the fox tricks the cookie and eats it. The end!" He said with an impish smile.


	5. Chapter V

Well chapter four is through. ON WITH CHAPTER 5!

It was nine years ago. Kito was small and wore little more than a tunic and some shorts that where to big and were kept up by a belt looped around his waist twice. He had his ears in a human form but they were pointed at the tip. Below his waist was covered in fur and his legs where arched like a fox's would be. His long bushy tail wrapped around his waist was bright red.

Kito tumbled out of a trash can as it was knocked over and the next moment was assaulted by a broom. "Létta! Létta!" The small fox boy cried. "Ykkarr ógagn Kito!" The fox boy hid behind the trash can lid using it as a shield. "What, wait you talk?" Said a female voice. "Get out from behind that lid you!" There was a moment's silence. "NEINN!" The boy shouted in disobedience. The woman watched the lid. "What? Speak English you twit!" The female voice protested than something pulled the lid away and Kito clung onto it for his dear life.

"Let go!" She said. "Let go you little squirrel boy!" The boy growled and bared his bangs. "Neinn mús, Kito foa-sveinbarn!" The boy protested. The woman, as she was the red haired, brown eyed Kino. She wore a winter coat over a tick woolen dress. She stared at the boy with a quizzical annoyed look. "Do you speak English at all or do you have no idea what I'm even saying?" She asked and was answered by an annoyed Kito in return. "Kito vita 'english', Kito neinn mæla 'english'. He answered with a growl. Kino cocked a head. "Well apparently you understand me right? How?" She question. Kito shrugged and then she asked, "Why where you in my garbage?" Kito cocked a head and Kino pointed to he toppled garbage can.

Kito made an 'O' shape with his lips and nodded before answering, "Kito Solrinn." He added the effect of rubbing his tummy but without paying attention he fell to the ground. Luckily he landed on his spring built legs. Kino shook her head and rolled her eyes. The little boy was two or three feet tall and already a pain. "So what do you want?" She asked rhetorically as she turned the trashcan upright and placed the lid on top. "Matr." He answered. Kino raised an eyebrow. "Matter?" She asked and Kino shook his head. "Neinn. Fiskr." He replied and raised the remains of a half eaten fish. Kino gave a disgusted look while Kito dropped the fish remains and went to wash his paw like hands in a puddle of water that was covered in ice.

"Food?" Kino asked. Kito nodded and answered, "Já." Kino was stunned for a moment. She heard that word before. "Ya?" She asked. Kito turned to her to consider what she said for a moment. "Já, ya, samr hlutr." Kino nodded. "I know what you speaking now. Your speaking Norse aren't you?" Kito again considered her but then nodded and answered, "Já." Kino shook her head. "That's a dead language there foxy. My husband is about the only one that understands it."

Kito glared at her with his moist golden eyes. "Neinn dauðr, kito foa-kyn mæla vetr gotar's tala." Kito answered and then nodded once with a 'huff' sound. Kino stared at him for a moment. "Well I don't have anything here for you. See you around runt." She said waving goodbye. It was freezing cold that day, and it was cloudy. She stopped as something cold fell on her hand.

She was about to examine it when she heard footsteps behind her. "Ok runt." She said turning around to face him. "I'm not in the mood to be fallowed, shoo! Go home!" Kito ignored her, he was to busy watching white flakes fall from the sky. "Snær!" He exclaimed as he stuck his tongue out to catch a flake. Kino raised her hand to catch one of the flakes. "Snow?" She asked. "Well I hope you have some place to go little guy. Stay warm." Kino walked away and turned around only to run into a tall man in a winter coat with blond hair. "John!" She exclaimed startled. "What are you doing here?" The man looked down at her and then towards Kito. "A kitsune?" He exclaimed to himself. Kino glaned back at the fox-boy playing in the snow flurries. "Oh, him? I found him in the garbage, I though he was a rat or something." She said and kissed the man on the cheek. John picked her up and kissed her upon the lips while he spun around, he embraced the woman.

"You found one!" He exclaimed happily. "I can't believe you actually found one!" Kino was slightly dazed when John stopped with his antics. Kito watched the blond man warily. "John what are you talking about?" Kino asked holding a hand to her head while she blushed. It had been a long time since her husband had kissed her like that. John's excited mood turned sober as he adjusted his glasses. His pale face examined Kito. The man said a phrase in Kito's language and Kito replied at first cautiously but they soon where engaged in a foreign conversation that added more pain to Kino's miner head ache. John smiled when Kito's rambling fell silent.

"Interesting. He seems to have a modern American accent but he speaks old Norse as fluently as the Vikings." The man said smiling delightedly. Kino stared at him with a bored look. She hadn't changed much. She was still the pilot she used to be and she still hated hybrids, though Because of Hayami she hated them considerably less. " I'm glad you've made a new friend, I'm sure he has somewhere else to go." She said as she walked towards the corner of their house. Kito shook his head and answered, "Neinn." John looked up at Kino wit a sort of sad smile.

"He's an orphaned outcast. His people have a custom of banishing bastard children after they are weaned. On the contrary, he has nowhere to go. He wandered here from a place near North America called New Harbor Town. Many of his kind live there and it was where he was raised until he was five." John answered and paused before he continued. "He's one of the few of his kind that can swim like the 'fish folk', as he puts it. I've been searching for their fabled kind for years."

Kino rolled her eyes. "Well I don't know what your fussing about, where not keeping him." She said sternly.

Kino held a picture of her deceased husband. Se remembered the day she found him. He bumped into her a few days after she retired. A year after the war ended. She fell in love with him and eventually marred the man. John Scabeth was his full name but he was one of those weird ones. When they married he adopted Kino's maiden name. She would often laugh about it. John was the last person she thought she would ever marry A scholar? But then, things fell into place. She watched Kito as he stared down at the navigation screen. She didn't know how she came to allow John to adopt Kito as their child but they did. And now she was glad he did.

Kito was even for someone who wasn't human, a weird child. The saddest day was when she found her son crying at her husband's death bead. John had always been pale and under the weather, but he never showed any signs. _Yet, you knew the day we took you in._ She thought to herself. _You knew all along. You always had that sad look on your face when you where with him. And John knew it to. _It had taken so long for Kito to finally break his promise and confront Kino about her husband. __

John never wanted to burden me with his pains. But, I wish he didn't keep it from me. Kito, … thank you.

Kino walked into the other room and entered a hallway that led into her bedroom.


	6. Chapter VI

Next Chapter.  
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Kito smiled as he stood on the loading bay of the 'Rig.' "Home sweet home." He said as people who walked by gave him a friendly nod, a wave or a 'hello.' Kito was obviously one of the few respected animal like people that the human race considered, or at least the humans here. The Rig was more of a huge mountainous steal fortress. The submarine bay alone could hold several of the Blue Fleet's subs. "This is what you call home?" Kino asked with awe. "If we had this as our headquarters during the war we could have simply ignored Zordyke's creatures."

She walked over to one side of the catwalk they stood on and peered over the edge. "How deep?" She asked as she tried to guess herself. Kito's giddy mood was flattened with the mentioning of the chimera, and in such a insulting way. Kito had respect for the new race and he aloud his face to show this. " Zorndkye's 'children' wouldn't bother attacking us from the sides. The walls are about thirty feet thick, which is a great accomplishment in such a short time." He said emphasized the word 'children.' "Rather they would attack the green houses above or try and burrow from bellow. Short of a nuke there aren't any weapons in their supposed arsenal to be able to blow through our walls."

Kino looked quizzical at Kito's annoyance but she decided to let it go. "So you don't have farms and pastures above?" She asked with slight disappointment. Kito smiled as he leaned on the rail of the catwalk next to his foster mother. "We have hydroponics farms, orchards, and gardens. Very much like the hanging gardens of Babylon." He replied with a short smile. "We sift nutrients from the ocean floor and use it for the plants. All manners of them grow up there. In the middle is the tower and in the west corner there's the orchard. We use a Ebb and Flow system for the larger plants."

Kino nodded, and watched as some stray fish darted past them. Zin and Rin as well as Kili (the babe,) had been taken to the nursery. This left Kino and Kito time to talk in a semi-private manner. " You know, I always wandered why our name are so similar. Why were you named Kito?" The short red haired mother asked trying to continue the conversation. Kito took a few moments to answer but then he simply shrugged. "Kit-Oh. 'Kit' as in a child fox, 'O' has no bearing though. There are many named such. Male and female amongst the kitsune." He answered and then turned to face Kino with a slight smile. "What I don't get is why you always pronounce it 'key-toh'. That has bugged me sense the day we met." He could help but snicker and he shook his head. "I guess it's because I'm Japanese." Kino answered. "That and it was easier to remember." Kito stood up and began to walk towards some stairs adjacent to the catwalk.

"Do you want to see the gardens?" The fox boy asked with slight zealousness. Kino smiled. "Of course, I would love too." She said and she fallowed him up the flight of stairs. They had suddenly stopped. A white haired girl of about seventeen stood in there way. "You're late Kito!" She said glaring at the fox boy with molten gold eyes. "You missed a months worth of practice to boot."

Kino looked around Kito's side to see a female version of her foster son. Besides her hair being snow white and her feminine curves her body and face was very much like her brother's. The eyes where what set them apart. Kito's eyes where deep pits within a molten gold disc. His eyes told of his many hardships and his vast experiences in his long travels around the world. His eyes seemed to belong to one beyond his actual age.

This vixen's on the other hand where young eyes with much anger in them. Her eyes were young and shallow showing clear naive ness. The anger in her eyes was like a fire, clearly saying she was mistreated or even tortured and she wanted revenge that she would never have. The few comparisons to the two were that they were molten gold, and showed great cunning and intelligence.

"So, I take it your Snow?" Kino said stepping around her slim son to offer her hand. "I'm Kino, I'm Kito's adopted Mother." Snow glared down at the red haired woman's hand thinking whether or not to grasp it. She received a hard stair from her brother before she decided to shake Kino's hand. "Pleased to meat you, Miss Mayumi."  
Kino smiled while Kito shook his head and gave them both a sad look with what seemed to be a hope that had just been shattered in his face. Kito was not a very emotional person so he hid is with a blank face but his eyes told clearly of his displeasure. The two women read his eyes very well before Kito walked on to the upper levels.

"What's wrong Kito?" Kino asked from next to him as she looked at a vine like plant that bared huge red berries. "I know something is troubling you." Kito sighed, being glad that Snow was too much of a tom boy to come up to the gardens. Kito enjoyed plants. "Snow is kind of ……." He started and sighed. "Snow is violent and has a deep dislike to strangers and especially if there human. She didn't take to well with you despite how it seemed. I know how she thinks. She is going to be trouble before the year ends."

"Is that all?" Kino said and almost giggled. "She's still just a kid; you're still just a kid." She giggled again and shook her head. "…. Yes, a kid that happens to be a psychic. She nearly killed me when I found her Kino. She still challenges me now." He responded morosely. "I often wonder about whether her mind is addled or whether she does this because of what happened and she simply can't move on."

Kino raised an eyebrow. "Why would she try and kill her own brother?" She asked slightly unnerved. "What did they do to her?" Kito's only response was the same sad look that said one thing only, to horrible for words.


	7. Chapter VII

Chapter 7

Kino Did have problems with snow. Snow was aggressive and showed vehemence towards everyone who either wasn't born here or hadn't been here for at least three years. Kino made it a point to try and be polite but also direct with her new foster daughter. To Kito's surprise she had Snow's respect very quickly after Kino had physical fought with the vixen. It didn't matter how fast snow was or how much strong she was, or even the fact that the vixen had retractable claws, Kino had lived with her son long enough to take advantage of every flaw that Snow had.

To Kino's great surprise Kito did have a relationship with another one of his kin that lived on the 'Rig'. There where, in simple terms, to female kitsune that lived in the hulking tower of iron. Her name was Wren. It was very apparent of how she differed from the twins. Snow was pure white with her hair and fur, Kito was a fiery red, orange color. Wren was a pale sky-blue, her ears where shorter and she had paler skin, that and she could take a full human form.

She looked like that of an arctic fox, which Kino had seen a picture of in the crap book Kito had. Kito never seemed to leave her side sense Kino and his sisters where properly settled in. He would often be seen in his spare time helping her with the daily chores or rather doing them for her so she could spare the time to talk. It seemed humorous to the rest of the Mayumi family.

Kito's actual job on the Rig was of to things. He headed the defense construction and training the guards. It was apparent that Kito had earned his way through his deeds into the top of the hierarchy. The essential leaders where mostly of elders and those who excelled at their profession. "Of course Kito would be a soldier." Kino scoffed as she nursed Kili. "I probably rubbed off on him." Wren watched the children as they tumbled over the floor playing or otherwise entertaining themselves. "Kito was always a fighter, He prefers to explore, but...." Wren said in her soft voice. " He thinks he has to give his life to protect the ones her cares about."

Kino nodded, as she walked over and pulled to boys off of each other as they wrestled one another. "So how did you meat him?" Kino ask curiously as Wren occupied herself by resolving the boys' fight. Wren giggled. "He found me washed up on the beach. Our kind don't naturally swim," She answered and giggled again. "I clung onto a piece of debris from our city when it imploded. I was one of the few survivors. I clung onto it for days." Wren looked out of a small port hole. "He found me on the beach and carried me here." She smiled to Kino and turned away to hide her embarrassment. "He barley left my side. He still tries to get me to come and swim with him, but....." She shook her head trying to escape the idea of drowning.

" I know. Kito means well though. He wouldn't allow you to drown." She said. "I just find it a little. Well, …. I never though He had a actual relationship going for him. All this was, difficult to take in." She held both hands out from each other to emphasize what she had said. "Kito Kept this all to himself. I had no idea any of this, none of it at all, even existed." She exclaimed. "It's amazing! I mean, I can't find words to-"

"I know, most of us had the same reaction. This may be our home, but it was his first." She interrupted her human friend. "Do you think me and Kito are, …. Intimate?" Kino blushed a little before she found the nerve to answer the Wren. "I was hopeful." She said giving her a wry smile. She couldn't hide her red cheeks.

"We're not." Wren said simply looking down at her hands, paws, or such. "I, I guess neither one of us are really brave enough to push forward. Thinking about it makes me uncomfortable." She sighed and besides the children playing or a cry or squeal, the room was silent for a moment. "I don't want to alienate him either. It wouldn't be fair for the either of us, but it's like ice and fire." She said and then shook her head. "No, He nor I are cold hearted. But, I feel like my mine is as entwine and confused as the aurora. I feel sorrow, anger, joy, jealousy, and most of all confusion towards Kito."

Kino for the first time had what she thought of as a fox face. Expressionless and unreadable. She finally changed her expression after a long moment to a sad face that she realized often belonged to Kito. "How so?" She said dreading what Wren would say next. Wren hugged her knee's. "I'm joyful that I have found a male my age that is more than willing to make me happy, He's hansome, friendly, of all things he is very wise upon the worldly things." She said in a less somber manner. "I often feel his mind brush mine. His is such a beautiful thing. Though, It's filled with pain. A blackish dark blue that reminds me of a raven, but his song is like the depth of the dark seas. Beautiful, but sad."

Kino cringed. "What's wrong?" Wren asked with a slightly worried face, as if pulled out of a dream. Kino shook her head. "Kitsune mannerisms. I never fully got use to it, but yous is much thicker than Kito's. Possibly due to you being raised by your own kind for most of your life." Wren's expression grew somber, with a flicker of frustration. "Yes, which leads to my anger." She said in a moderately menacing air. "One day Kito may begin to court me. Or at least try to. I despise the idea that of a bastard's child daring to even think of such a thing. My people have fallowed customs to keep our people's moral and pure. Free of inbreeding, free of mongrels and beggars."

Kito's face tensed with anger, Wren sighed her face returning to the somber sad face that often was the main expression Kito had. "Which leads to my sorrow." She said as she laid her head on her harms and hugged her knees tighter. "I never had the chance to have a arranged marriage. I was never betrothed." She then took a moment to collect her thoughts. Silence again. "Kito, …." She sighed. "Kito it an amazing person, and I rebel at the thought that he deserves to be banished from our kind. But even worse that he should be so tightly bound to our rules, our curtsies, and strict customs. He is polite enough and of all things kind, which I can not say much about my kind." She opened her eyes and sighed again.

"Kito is as he should be. Free. And I would hate to see him otherwise. I can't say he is like my kin that I have grown to be so familiar with." She said and smiled a ghost of a smile. "He is a wander, A, … I don't know what to say. I, lo-..... I don't know." She took a moment then shifted her head so her chin rested on her knees. "I'm jealous because he is so happy and I so miserable. He has virtues and has done so much and is praised for it all. I was never given such. Even the elders here respect him more than I would have ever earned among my kin."

"And Of all things, I really don't know what to think of him. Should I? Could I? Should I dare?" She continued. "My mind rushes like a tsunami through a network of rock cliffs and caves, gorges and canyons, valleys." She shut her eyes closed tightly. " I can't think straight around him and away from him.... I don't want to be..."

Kino studied the sky-blue haired girl. "Your so young, and yet so old. The both of you." Was the only thing she could muster as a reply. She hadn't a single inkling on how many customs the kitsune had placed on the affairs of love and she didn't know how she could help these to. She decided to change the subject. "What about Snow? Do you ever fight" It took wren a moment to respond but she finally lifted her head and smiled. "Kito never let's her near me. Snow Is, in all sense more wolf than fox." She said and she giggled. "I find it humorous and yet it worries me that two twins would fight and bicker so much. They I think truly are like Ice and fire. He burns with love and kindness and hot with the will to fight when he must and she. She has a cold and spiteful spirit. She bites everyone and herself. Her facade of her aggression is only a thin layer of sharp ice covering soft snow." She paused and then continued. " Her hurt is deep and she tries to hide it with a melting hatred that only hurts herself. Kito will heal her ailment in due time. But until then, he will not let her into his little pack."


	8. Chapter VIII

Chapter eight.

Kino searched for her foster son but was rewarded with fruitless results. She had been searching for him all morning and even Wren did not know where he was. She sighed until she saw a flicker of red fuzz turn around a corner and she scuffled after it while she held Kili in her arms. "Kito!" She called. "Kito?" She mad it around a hall way but it was empty. She sighed and decided to head towards the garden.

On her way she passed a dark room where she herd Snow's voice, curious she entered. "Snow?" She asked and then her eyes fell on the white and red fraternal twins. "Kito I've been-" She cut herself off as she looked around the room taking a head count of all the gun hands and engineers that stood around a large LCD screen covered in Plexiglas which was motion sensitive.

"Sorry I've been having a meeting, we were stuck here for hours until we could start." Kito Said as he gave her a apologetic smile before grimacing and returning his attention to the table With the LCD screen. It showed the schematics of the 'Rig'. The structure was shown in green frame work with a black background. Kito pointed towards a wide loop that represented the inlet the occupied.

" A hundred yards out is where we should set the barrier to begin construction on the addition buildings." He said to the others as he took a styles clicked on a button and then carefully drew a red circle around the perimeter of the inlet. "We may have to add artificial land to the inlet in order to build a city in the future but we will have a productive town. The 'rig' will have to be raised another fifty feet and the platform would help block the waves better than the one we use now. The barrier will cut into the tower but I believe we need a west north and south gate set into the barrier."

There was a moments silence before a burly man shook his head. "How are we going to get the supplies for this? Foraging for them risks human lives and we don't have the funds to buy it from the Chimera or the outsiders." The man exclaimed. "Not that the Chimera trade to begin with." Kito simply smiled. "No, We won't be trading with them until the hostility between the _races_. I doubt that will even be in my life time." Kito announced and calmly turned his attention to a member of the meeting holding her hand up. "I have a proposal that would solve this problem but let me hear what Ms. Elizabeth has to say."

The woman, of twenty gave him a wry face. "Please, just Liz." She said with slight distaste at her superior's formality. "What about your race? The Kitsune? Wouldn't they be willing to trade?" Kito shook his head. "I have considered them to as a candidate but unfortunately my kind don't want anything much to do with humans." he answered. " I hate the fact that my kind insert spy in your numbers to keep up with the surface world, but they are more content in rotting inside their crystal boxes."

Snow snarled. "And what is that suppose to mean Kito?" She retorted. "Do you forget that we are Kitsune?" Kito met her glowing gold eyes with his own. No one in the room found her outburst inconsiderate or rude or the the fact that the two's appearance was slightly frighting to one who was not use to it. On the contrary they where very use to the two's presence, appearance and the fact that they where of another race even if they looked so much like humans.

"No, sister, I have not forgotten." He said with a calm blank expression. " But I meant what I said. Our Kin, want nothing to do with our fellow humans. They are content in degrading their sociality in their city's under the ground and sea floors. They would not have advanced much further in life if it was not for the intelligence their spy network gleams of the surface races. The expression, Snow, Is that 'they are like dinosaurs in a bunker.'

They depend on the humans and chimera now. Sure, they can sustain themselves, make their own food, repair their cities, to a degree at least. In all, The Kitsune are crumbling. Our old suspicions and customs, and our culture in whole is their undoing. Yes, Snow, I said 'their' for we are outcasts and I don't believe we will die off like them in the next thousand years less there is a war."

Kito stood there with here baby. She never herd or seen Kito chastise his own race before and so openly. She decided to stay silent, for now.

Kito paused for a moment before he continued. "My proposal is that we build a system of robots to help us in our need. We have the means in doing so we just never had a reason." He said with a small grin. "Among us are very talented programmers and I know very well we can't devote shifts to controlling them on a twenty-four hour basis so I think it would be easier to program them in a way so that they are similar to NOVA." The room was silent. No one spoke for a long period. Kito watched them and then sensed that he needed to continue. "We have the materials to do it, we just have to take the time and energy to do it."

A thin man stood up and shouted angrily, "And where is all the money coming from then? Are you going to tax us or drive us like slave?" There was a haste contingent of whispering there and a few chuckles before Kito dined to look at the young gun hand. "No one here is really paid Saiga. We all do our part in helping to build a better life for everyone to live here. The funds are held in a type of bank and people that want things, well, they order it from a catalog that we all made. What we need we take and what we want we work for and buy. It's kinda off communistic and that worries me sometimes but I can't do anything about it. This is how we live. We work together to help feed one another and protect one another." Kito Answered. "That's how it is. We may not like it but, We live with it." A old man in jean overalls and a red plad shirt smiled in his seat. "Well said Kito." The man said in a horse voice.

"If we do this we won't have to devote our time in salvaging materials from the sea floor. We just need to build a handful of specialized salvages and some freight bots. I have no specialization in this area so I'll This is all I have now to say." He concluded and sat down in his seat. There was a wave of murmuring. "What about weapons Kito?." Came from a female voice in the back of the group.

"Hmm. I don't see how we can improve ourself and still keep our current defenses." The canine answered. "Ah! We could set up some turrets around the perimeter of the wall near the walls. More cannons but perhaps short ranged and with a little more armor than the 'tower' has. Seeing as the 'tower' is our only affective long-ranged weapon, maybe we should concentrate on improving it and adding on to it. It shouldn't take long, we have an over abundance in metal. Perhaps missiles would do?"

There was a clamor of ideas, protests and agreements made after this. Kito looked at Kino with a wry smile and mouthed, 'welcome to my life.' She returned his smile and just couldn't help but shake her head as she began to understand her son's possition.


	9. Chapter IX

Chapter 9

Kito stared out into the endless sea. Something was amiss, he could feel it in his veins. The air was so intense, like a storm was about to break, but then, how could that be if there wasn't a cloud in the sky? Snow climbed the last step from the stairs not far from her brother. "There you are!" She exclaimed. "I have been looking for you all day!"

Kito did not respond to her, which only heightened her aggravation. His whiskers twitched as he sensed the electrical changes in the air. '_Something is coming, but what?' _ he thought. "Kito! Your missing your training s-" She cut herself off as she understood the reason for his tense concentration. "What is it?" He took a few moments to sum up what he so far understood. Snow fidgeted. "Do you feel it?" He asked his eyes darting to hers before returning to the horizon. He closed his eyes trying to allow his sense to dominate. "Everything smells the same, but it feels, strange." The white haired vixen stared at her brother skeptically. "Oh, what, you can sense something I can't? Great Kito attuned with the spirits of our ancestors, he speaks! All hail to him and silence your selves for he speaks!" She mocked with bitter vehemence.

Kito sighed. "I hear war songs. _Their_ war songs. It's faint, like a whisper, drowned by the sea, but..." He opened his molten gold eyes and looked passively to his sister. "It's definitely their." His sister scoffed. "Bah, Your word are as idle as your body is. Now come. We need to practice our swordsmanship." Kito shook his head and walked passed her. "Their are more important things then bettering our combative capabilities Snow. I'm going to report my findings and don't you try and stop me or I'll try my darnnest to throw you off the side!"

It was three days sense Kito detected the fleet before they actually arrived. The _Rig_ was prepared. The chimerian fleet had arrived. Kito listened as the defenders made their announcement that if the chimerians came peacefully they would be glad to shelter them. But if they came with hostilities, they are well prepared to die to defend their home. The fleet answered with war songs.

Kito noted that the pirates consisted of three musaca and a large destroyer that was converted to a crude submersible as the flag ship. "This will be a short battle if all goes well." He said as he slipped a depleted uranium tipped bullet into the fifty cal armor piercing sniper rifle. The musaca were soon forced to submerge further underwater and coat themselves in their protective membrane. The _tower_ had started its bombardment on the fleet, though it was only effective on the destroyer, having hit the main cannons and already blasted of the ballast tanks. The flagship was useless withing the first seconds of battle and stranded as well. The _tower _continued its rain of artillery bombardments to keep the musaca in the membranes, unable to use their sonic weapons and unable to get any closer to their home. The musaca launched a barrage of organic torpedoes that smashed into the the submerged part of the _rig_ with no effect other than blowing of the paint. The walls were to thick.

It was obvious the musaca had no ability to harm the great dark tower with long distance weapons and they would be slaughtered if they got within range to use their sonic waves. This left them with their only option, the umigumos. They sent them in a wave of around fifty. The Kumos went unchallenged the _tower_ not shifting its bombardment from the musaca. Kito noted their suspicion when he intersected some of the musaca's communications. He grabbed a radio and turned the mic on. "Their suspicious that we are letting the kumos pass. I think they are befuddled by how the blues usually concentrated on the smaller umigumos then their larger counterparts. They're not withdrawing though." Kito reported. "This is going to be a blood bath." He turned the mic of and set the radio down to grab a pair of headphones.

Snugly set over his ears he plugged the phones into the radio and then turned his attention to his rifle. He set it up on it's tripod and readied for the coming assault. Within two minutes the kumo were in range. they didn't bother bombarding the _rig _with torpedoes, that had failed when the musaca tried.. They began firing their pressurized cannons. Again, they were as affective as sand blasters against the thick steel\iron walls the absorbed the impacts. They had no choice but to climb the tower and lay siege from the top.

And so the kumos made their assent. They remained unchallenged until they reached the middle of the tower where gun ports opened and shots rang out. The kumos were being peppered by steady streams of explosive bullets. The defenders had mini guns pointed directly down at the kumos. The bullets penetrating through the hulls of the machines, killing the pilots inside. Kito had by now killed or disable nine of the kumos, though he tried to aim for spots that would destroy the kumo rather than the pilot, which was not easy.

The wave was annihilated. Their was no retreat, no quarter, there was simply death. The defenders did not allow further advance or retreat. If The pilots inside the umigumos where not dead, they were trapped or unconscious inside their machines. Kito made a mental note to check for surviving mutio. He would find this business very grim indeed, but it would be for the best.

The defenders opened the gates after the kumo where defeated. They where sending out large lobster like submersibles that were heavenly armored. There was about ten of them, armed with two claws that operated like that of a pistol shrimp. It collapses a cavitation bubble generating acoustic pressures, similar to the musaca's sonic attacks only instant, refined, and longer ranged. The submersibles attacked striking the membrane of the musaca, pelting it with pressure until the membrane shredded. The musaca tried to fight back but the lobsters where too heavenly armored and the shape let alone allowed the attacks to pass by more easily causing little damage if any. The submersibles didn't sink into the seafloor because of ballast tanks, but they were very heavy.

The musaca could not protect their flag ship any longer. They sent kumo to try an twart the human's submersables but even though they outsped the lobster like machines, they were not a threat, and fell to the clopsters constant snaps of its claws. The fleet was beaten back into retreat. The flag ship, the defender's prize and spoils.


	10. Chapter X

Kito sat inside the armored transport boat. "Have you armored everything before I got back?" He said to Snow while he fixed the double bayonet to his rifle. Snow smiled. "Yep, I even got some guys to make the lobster drones. They're very effective aren't they?" She said, apparently overjoyed with results of her work. Kito frowned deepened. "Snow, I'm going to need your help capturing the hybrids on the ship as well as in the remaining kumos scattered around our home." He said finishing his work. Snow beamed. "Sure thing Brother!" She said and reeled from the battle.

Kito shook his head. _You obviously don't know how grim this work will be._ He thought. He looked up at his sister with his sad look. "What?" She demanded and only became more frustrated when her brother shook his head and sighed. He was worried for her. _I'm going to destroy 'this' you Snow. And I'm afraid of what might happen because of it._ He thought. He gave her a wry smile which she mistook for a sign of reassurance.

They arrived fifteen minutes after departure. Kito stood up and grabbed a grappling hook. "I'll lead the assault." He looked to Snow. "Watch my back will you?" It was more a command then a question but Snow nodded none the less.

Kito opened the hatch and climbed out onto the roof his rifle hanging across his back. He threw the hook with expert precision with a single twirler and watched as it latched onto the railing fifty feet above. He began his assent when he assured himself it was secure.

He climbed fast and stopped just before he made it eye level with the deck. He peeked over to see who was on top and noted the number of hybrids on the deck before he jumped high into the air. He gave them no chance to react. Instead he jammed to but of his rifle in the side of one's head and brought the butt of the rifle down behind them on the crown of another's who was directly behind him. He threw the rifle over his shoulders again and charged a group with only his hands and feet.

He punched one in the back of the head and kicked another in the forehead. He jumped into the air sometimes to get hit them in higher places or to strike at multiple opponents with a series of splits or round house kicks. He soon subdued the group and moved onto the next. He noted that some were already injured and tried avoiding confrontations with them. He didn't want to look back at his sister. He didn't want to watch her fight, he was afraid of what he may see.

But he had to and was relieved to see she was busying herself with tying restraints around their prisoners. He sighed and snapped his head towards healthier groups of opponents. It took five minutes to capture the first deck, which in that time their human counterparts arrived to see the devastation Kito himself had wreaked.

Kito nodded to them. "Have two guards the prisoners until we get transport, the rest, switch your clips to rubber heads and fallow me." He ordered and headed towards a flight of stairs. The first one wasn't intact so he began his search for a safe passage to the next level.

Kino watched from the top of the _rig's_ wall. "So, he didn't ask her to come to help so she would actually help him?" She asked. Wren stood next to her and shook her head. "To break her, or at least see if she could handle fighting without hurting others. It's the best he could do." Kino frowned. "I don't like this." She said with a frown. "But he is trying to do the right thing." Wren walked closer to Kino's side.

"You're worried about him. Aren't you?" She asked rhetorically. Kino nodded. "About them both." She replied despite the question being rhetorical. Wren smiled. "Kito, I've made up my mind. I want him to be my husband when we come of age." She said with a sly smile. "WHAT?" Kino said after a moment's silence. Her eyes wide and mouth dropped open. Wren smiled and hugged Kino. "Twenty years from now, on this very spot, during a sun shower, I hope to marry him" She said and thus she left Kito in a state of shock.

Kino stood there for a moment then she turned to the horizon. "What is it with these vixens and sadistic humor?" She asked the air around her.

Kito stood on the third level surrounded. His party where back to back. Rifles loaded and bayonets menacing the spear & sword wielding hybrids. "Surrender humans and your deaths will be quick." Said a large reptilian like hybrid wielding a sword. "Funny, considering we are the ones with the guns." Kito herd his sister say, now realizing who he had his back against.

The leader apparently found this amusing. "We out number you!" The reptilian replied. Kito scoffed. "I fought worse odds. The best you can do is drop your weapons and surrender to us before anyone gets hurt." Kito said calmly. The reptilian laughed. "And why should we do that traitor?" He asked mockingly. Snow growled. "Because we will drop you, you moron!" She snarled. Kito shook his head. "Me and my impolite sister are from a race far older then you. Roughly the same age as the human race is." He said staring into the reptilian's eyes.

"Lies!" The reptile replied. "You lie!" Kito took a les human shape setting his gun down. His hands became claws, his fangs became for prominent in his mouth that was transforming into a fox's muzzle. "Why would I need to lie?" He asked and charged the reptilian weaving past the weapon and tackling the hybrid. The Reptilian only had time to let out a startled cry before he was knocked town onto the floor and unconscious. The rest of the hybrids backed away holding their spears shakily at the monster they now faced. A child broke their ranks charging him with a knife. A shot rang out and the child fell. Kito paused, too afraid to turn and see the rifle man.

He gathered his courage and turned to face his sister who held the gun limply with a shaking hands. "It was a kid…." She dropped the gun and collapsed on her knees. "It was a kid!" Kito gave her no chance to defend herself. He struck a blow to her head and pointed to her. "Take her back to the ship. Two of you remain. Tie her up with the rest of the prisoners. Search her for any weapons, even if you have to tear her clothes off, I don't care. She will not escape." He ordered. And so it was carried out.

Kito walked through out the the ship scouting for any hybrids his party may have missed. Many of the Chimera that were on the ship died during battle. Most of the Hybrid had died in the assault, others were injured and few made it out unharmed. The defenders would have bodies to bury. Kito came to a pool of water that the mutio would usually would be at. It was vacant. "Well. That's twice I've been here and I don't know-" He noticed movement in the pool, something hiding under the edge. Kito walked to the edge and crouched. He was in his half fox-form still so he could easily be mistaken as a hybrid at the moment.

He searched the pool left and right several times then paused at a particular spot. He repeated and saw nothing of interest. He sighed. "time to break the news to sister." He said turning his back. He took only ten paces when he herd something rise out of the water. He turned. A small mutio, a mutio child, was watching him with a curious look. Kito gave her a grin, or at least he though it was a 'her'. "Hello?" He said taking cautious and slow steps to the edge. When the mutio stayed steal he cocked his head and flicked his tail staying stalk still.

The mutio child examined him, and he her. She splashed at him and he corrected the angle of his head and sat down. The mutio dived under only to spring back up and spray water all over Kito. He smiled. The mutio copied his expression. He slipped into the water, and dove, allowing the water to wrap around him and become a flow. He darted here and there and then to the middle. The mutio watched and the copied him. When she reached the center she examined him more closely and let out a series of squeaks. He let a low hum in reply and then surfaced to take a breath before he began to search for a water way exit. He soon found it, though it was blocked by debris.

Kito took another breath of air and this time longer. He dove down to the blocked entrance and was, his hands against it. The mutio child watched as he did this and was amazed when the debris was shoved inward. Kito swam to the surface for another breath and dove again through the tunnel. He hummed lowly and turned to see if the mutio was fallowing him. He grinned and zoomed through the passage way until he met his next obstacle. Like before he moved it with the great force of his mind and he zoomed out into open water.

He looked back and saw the mutio cautiously fallow him. He smiled and head for the surface to take a breath. The mutio fallowed him looking around. The mutio wanted to play and for a time kito did. He didn't want her, as he had found out, to stay out. It was a bloody place to do anything. Kito lead her towards the tower and into the open gate of the _rig. _Kito sighed as he hulled himself out of the water. The mutio clung onto him like an infant. Kito smiled as she fell asleep into his arms. "Well, it seems I have a kid to take care of." He said watching her snooze.


	11. Chapter XI

Captain Iga of Sub Number Six stared down at the picture. "This isn't a composite?" He asked Yuri. Yuri shook his head. "How, it's in the middle of the hybrid's territory!" Yuri shook his head again. "The photo was taken from a recon drone a week ago. This base is operated by some of ours, though what nation remains unclear." Cpt. Iga examined the picture again. "It looks like a huge iron tower in the middle of the sea." He exclaimed with a wry grin. "How could they survive out their?"

Yuri shrugged. "I can't give you a straight and completely correct answer but from what it looks like those walls could be anywhere from thirteen to twenty feet thick. It's hundreds of feet around in a complete circle by estimation. Most likely they farm their own food." Yuri said. "My best guess." Cpt. Iga shook his head. "This must have taken years to construct. And if your right, they could simply let anything hit that monstrosity and it wouldn't so much as phase it!" He said and shook his head once more in disbelief.

Hwang walked into the bridge. "I've herd about that place from Kino once. She called telling me all about it. Her son built most of it." She said as she walked over to the captain. "May I?" She held her hand out to it and Iga reluctantly gave it to her. "She said the walls were about that thick. They do grow their own food, but they also are well armed. I think Their leader or one of their leaders is named Kiitou." Iga was not surprised she herd all they had said. Iga sighed. "I haven't herd from Kino Mayumi sense after she resigned a few days after the war ended. She has a son?" Iga said surprised by the revelation that Kino had children. Hwang smiled and nodded. "And four daughters." She added. Cpt. Iga raised a brow and whistled, the old man slightly befuddled.

Yuri laughed. "So she finally settled down with huh?" He asked though rhetorically. "I didn't expect her to have been one of those family types after what happened." Hwang smiled. "You didn't expect Hyami to settle down either. And look who he married!" She said with a smile as she watched Yuri's face. He cringed at the thought.

Cpt. Iga looked at the photo once more. "We have the coordination?" The captain asked already knowing the answer. Yuri confirmed. "Then this _iron tower_ is our next destination." He exclaimed.

Kito watched the progresses as the construction on the tower's new cannons were being installed along with the new ordinance system being installed. There were two cannons now, one over the other. They had also begun construction on the housing and sound reduction of the cannons. They had salvaged as much as they could from the destroyer and what surface damage was discover was repaired. The paint job done, surprisingly the job was finished within the weak and construction on lesser cannons on the west, east, north and southern most parts of the walls were underway. The _rig_ was being refitted once again.

It took two weeks for the major tasks to be completed. The construction on the prisoner's cells was completed and the separate institutions were made. Research was being done to make their charge's lives more comfortable. They had captured eighteen mutio, six being male, and fifteen more, the rest were an assortment of beast like creatures canine or feline and some crosses. None of which had wanted to co-operate with their capturers more than they had to. The mutio child Kito had recovered still lived within his quarters and slept in his bathtub, which was probably best sense he had a bubbler system and other modifications that aloud the child to live there comfortably.

Kito sighed. "So many dead sister; none of them were ours, none of them our comrades but, so many we killed." He said setting his head to rest on his forearms which rested on his knees. "Did you have your fill of blood?" The white vixen stood a few feet from her brother, at first stunned that her brother was aware of her presence, and then his question, which struck deep into her heart. "Brother, why did you ask such a thing? I'm not a monster." She answered fearing her brother may turn angry. Snow was different, she had killed, but this time, this time she killed because she had panicked, and in result she had slain a child, or at least she had shot one.

"I was afraid for you; you were heading so close to that path. I was afraid I may have had to….." He trailed of and shook his head; a sad look played his face. He paused for a long moment then added, "We will have company from the human world soon." Snow sat down next to her brother and searched his face. Unable to find anything she enquired about his recent statement. "I spotted a recon droid; it must have taken photos of our home. I can feel the electricity from their propulsion system, they are coming from the north east and they are five days out. It's a large submersible." He answered.

Snow cocked her head. "How can you sense these things brother?" She asked with a little disbelief. "I trust you when you say this now; you were right about the pirates; how brother?" Kito closed his eyes and smiled. "It all has to do with the whiskers, the metal wall I meditate on, and the ocean; things that have large amounts of energy emit a field. Even if it is a large school of fish, I can sense it. The fleet that attacked us I heard coming as well but I felt their faint electrical field. It makes my whiskers tingle." Snow seemed disappointed with the logical answer Kito had. _ What no psychic powers or anything? Why couldn't I feel this? _She though. "Because you never pay attention." He answered guessing her questioning look.

She paused. Are you still angry with me?" She asked becoming tense. "For killing that kid?" Kito glared at her angrily but, unable to hold the face for long he cracked a grin. "No." He said with a chuckle. "You didn't kill that child." Snow's brow furled. "Why are you laughing?" she demanded. "I shot that kid dead in the chest, he should have died."  
Kito shook his head. "I slipped rubber headed bullets into your gun before you ever got onto the boat. I didn't trust you with a gun." He replied.

Snow stared at him. "Why was I locked away? Why did you treat me like a prisoner? Why didn't you tell me?" she asked. "Why did you attack me?" Kito stood up and turned his face to her, his eyes a few inches from her's, his anger genuine, played across his face. "It was either I broke you that way or for me to destroy you sister." He replied with a snarl. "Do you ever even think about your actions? Let your anger go before you do become a monster!"


	12. Chapter XII

Chapter 12

Captain Iga waited for the transmission to get through. They were trying to contact this _iron tower_. "We are being hailed captain." Said Yun, the communications operator. Iga smiled, "Patch them in Yun." An old man wearing a straw hat sat at the head of a table with other council staff members. He wore overalls and had the air of a farmer, which was his name. "Hello there. May I ask on what occasion we come to speak?" The man said. "We don't get to many visitors, the ones we do get usually try to blow us to hell and back." Captain Iga smiled. "We came to investigate this structure, it seemed strange that this would all of a sudden pop out of nowhere."

"Curiosity." Exclaimed the man. "I would offer you shelter but I need your word that you will come in piece." Captain Iga nodded. "You have it. I'm Captain Iga Of Blue Submarine Number Six." Capt. Iga replied. "A Blue huh? This, ….. this should be interesting." The man said with a frown and the added, "The gates will be opened by the time you get here." The man nodded with his eyes closed and the transmission ceased.

Capt. Iga stared at the blank screen. "They sound like they have been in a lot of fights." He exclaimed. Huang Was standing behind The captain she giggled. "Wise and suspicious. I think they built and defended this place for a long time."

Sub No. Six took a better half of the day to get in site of the tower. It appeared as a massive form on the sonar. "This place is huge!" Said one of the sailors manning the sonar equipment. Capt. Iga whistled as he looked out of the scope. "A little bigger than four oil rigs built onto each other. They must have somehow dragged it ashore. It looks like they are refitting the whole place." Iga said trying to calm himself. "This place is more impressive then the Blue Dome." Yuri scoffed. "The dome was bigger." He assured. Iga laughed. "But not as heavily armored. I wonder what they even call this place."

Kito stood watching the large submersible pull into their docks. He had some defenders ready with heavy machine guns loaded. He watched from the main part of the dock. "Remember, unless they show start shooting at people, don't fire less I give the orders. I don't care if they are armed."

The Number six pulled to a stop and a boarding processes was under way. Soon enough Iga was walking of onto a catwalk to head for the main part of dock where worker was leading his party. He froze when he saw Kito and pulled out his gun swiftly. Kito only flicked his tail and walked a few feet closer to the captain so they could converse. Iga noticed the clicking of hammers and other mechanical sounds from above.

"I didn't expect you would be to open with non-humans." Kito said nonchalantly. "I'm Kito Mayumi, head of the military department. I suggest you but that hand gun away Captain." Kito watched the man with a cool expression, not threatened by the pistol Iga held. Iga looked up and took note of the weapons pointed at him and his party. Sniper rifles and mini-guns some where standard assault rifles. Kito turned his head to a man and beckoned to him. He whispered something and the man nodded and ran off.

"I can see I'm out gunned." The Captain stated staring into the fox like human that stood before him. Kito was in his normal form, a mostly human state with long whiskers his tail and fox like ears. Kito nodded. "Many of these weapons could tare through the hull of your ship in a matter of seconds with ease, but that's also due to the fact that your submersible is lightly armored. Ours only recently have been refitted but those are drones. We dodn't have many battle worthy maned subs." The kitsune stated with a shrug. "I'm not your enemy, I'm a harborer. The Harborer actualy. And don't you dare ask me if I'm zorndkyes!"

Iga blanched. "If your not a chimera, then what are you?" He demanded. Kito pushed the gun aside with his tail and stood face to face with the older man. "We are Kitsune, a race as old as yours. We are able to mimic a human appearance and have been doing so to live right under your noses as peacfuly as possible until one of your own flooded the whole world and buried our hidden cities under water. We still prosper though."

Iga shoved his gun into his hoister. "Your referring to the mythological foxes?" he asked.  
Kito wobbled his a hand hand in a so-and-so gesture. "We are more like werewolves that can turn when ever we want, shifting our bodies at will. Some of us are psychic, but few now a days. Not so much in the case of your race, psychics are growing in population if I studied correctly."

Iga found it disturbing on how Kito spoke upon this subject with such a comfortable air. "Captain!" Said a female voice. Capt. Iga turned to the familiar short red haired woman that ran from a hall with a white haired girl running after her. "Kino, they're busy, don't!" hollered the girl. Kino stood side by side with Kito. "It's been a long Time sense I have seen you captain." She said with a smile. She didn't bother waiting for Iga's response she tackled the old man and hugged him. Iga could only just stand on his two feet after the impact.

"I take it you were once on this ship Kino?" Kito inquired. "Big enough." Kino turned to her son and smiled. "I use to be an Ensign when I was stationed aboard this ship. I resigned soon after the war." She said. "So, Iga, I take it you have met my son Kito." Iga raised a brow. He was a little lost for words. "Sir, to stop you from injuring yourself from this surprise, she's not my biological mother. I'm adopted." Kito said with a smile. He was proud to be in a human family.

Iga nodded. "That makes sense. I though you may be trying to copy Hayami." The man joked. Kino frowned. "Hey, you both have the same hair." He said settling the matter. Kito frowned. "Human jokes aren't very funny. No offense. I have a preference for things more in the lines of puns and more well thought out humor. In that respect I fallow my foster father." Kito said giving a nod to Iga and turning to one of his gunmen. "Tat, have the weapons sent back to the armory. Make sure the prisoners are being checked on. Have are guests quarters prepared. I'm off to see how the refitting on the _tower_ is progressing." And so he left.

Snow paused behind Kino. She didn't know how to react anymore and was now becoming shy. Kino nodded Iga towards Snow. "This is one of my four daughters. I have two sets of twins. This is my oldest girl, Snow." Kino introduced stepping aside and beckoning for her to come forward. Snow was wearing a hanfu that was a electric blue color. Snow stood a few feet from Iga and held out her hand.

Iga shook it. "So, I take it your husband was that blond historian?" Iga asked looking the girl over shortly and turning his attention to kino. Snow was the one to answer though. "John Scabeth . He changed his name to Mayumi, he liked Kino's last name." She said and shrunk back to hide behind Kino.

Kino side. "These two. I tend to worry about more than my other three. Snow and Kito are my oldest twins. Fraternal. I found Kito digging in my trash can for scraps. He spoke some weird language from the vikings age." She said and chuckled. "John understood him. They were inseperable. This one though, I've meet not to long ago. Kito, …. He keeps things to himself to protect people."


	13. Chapter XIII

Chapter 13

Iga fallowed Kito through hydroponic gardens. "So what is this tower called?" Iga asked as he examined a plant with green berries hanging from it's vines. "I would assume it's called the _tower_ but... Proper names should be used..." Kito glanced back at Iga and shrugged. "The inhabitants of this Island simply call it the _Rig. _The _Tower_ is our long range turret." Kito said as he weighed a tomato in his hand. "Their is no specific name right now until we expand outwards beyond this fortress. We were thinking of calling it Sanctuary City, or Neo Harbor Town." He shrugged and moved on down the walk way.

Capt. Iga sighed. "I know what you want Captain. Yes, this would be an ideal headquarters. But very few of us would agree and usurping us would be almost impossible. There is vary little that can destroy this place short of God's wrath or a nuke." The fox like boy said cooly. "And trying to take us by armed forces is just as. The men and women here are all trained to respond almost as quickly as the minutemen patriots. We prize this structure, it is _our_ home." Iga sighed. "Your people would die to keep this place." Iga stated. "No, Blue wouldn't take this place, even if it wanted to. But perhaps this could be a shelter?"

Kito turned and smiled to Iga. "It is a shelter Captain. That's the thing about this place. We are harborers, we always offer shelter to those we think need and deserve it. Those that don't want destruction to everything, war, murder, we do not harbor violence." Iga frowned. "You all seem to be trying for utopianism." The old man said shaking his head sadly. "I don't think it will work." Kito smiled with his eyes closed. "More than you think. I don't care if your a different race, so long as you don't cause trouble I would be happy to allow you to stay. Hybrid, human, kitsune. I wouldn't care if it was a little green person from mars, so long as they keep their peace." Kito said. "We have our ways in doing things. Violence is only required when we must defend what is our. This island provides for us. The sea around us, it provides for us. Why should we not try for a utopia?"

Iga nodded. "What will you do with your hybrid prisoners?" He asked growing curious. "Your people seem to treat them well enough, how many have died?" Their was a silence for several long moments between the old man and the fox. "One. A reptilian hybrid. He refused to be a prisoner and committed suicide." The fox answered. He had led them into the lower layer. Iga raised his brow. "Where are we going Kito?" The old man's gruff voice demanded. Kito turned back to the man and smiled. "To see my charge." He simply answered.

Iga had fallowed Kito all the way to his quarters. Kito's door had no knobs, handles, but simply a card slide and a keyhole in the middle of the door. Kito laid his left hand on the door and slid a card handing from a belt into the card slide. He closed his eyes and concentrated. "So how does it open?" Iga said after the card slide failed to open the door and he was done examining the door. "Is the reader broken?" He asked. "No." Kito answered, and with that the door swung inward. "You need the car and a key to get in. Kino is the only one with a key. Me, Snow, A vixen named Wren, and Kino are the only ones with a card to this room. I don't need a key."

Kito stepped in and a squeaky sliding noise resounded. A mutio clung onto Kito's leg and then clambered up to his chest hugging his neck. He held her their and turned to Iga. "This is River. She's a mutio child I found in the ship that attacked us a few weeks ago. She lives here in my room with me."

Iga looked from Kito and down to River and back to Kito. The mutio had a auburn color to it's hair. "What are you harborers planning on doing with your prisoners?" Iga asked. "I doubt you and your people will keep them for the rest of their lives, and I don't see you harborers using them as slaves." The mutio was snoozing in Kito's arms. He sat down on his bed. "I think we will either assimilate them into our population." Kito answered. "We may try to keep them imprisoned until then, but the process won't be long if they are willing to be educated. But, slavery is not an option. I don't quite know. We could release them after a time."

Iga frowned. "There is no clear plan. Just to feed and try to educate them. Make their live comfortable huh?" He asked with a scoff. Kito nodded. "That's the plan I guess." He said ignoring the old man's skepticism. "It would be nice to see them helping us. For now they simply keep to themselves. They've calmed down during the first week and the second they began to co-operate a little when we tried to get them to learn how things must be done around here." He added.

"We are planning on building another level specifically for them to have for themselves. It will be a sort of prison but they won't be confined to that big cage." He said as he walked to the bathroom. His whole room in the span of time the river had started living with him had dramatically transformed. It had many tanks with foods the mutio would usually eat in her kin's natural habitat. Fish and sea plants of all kinds took residence in the tanks that dominated two walls of his room. Kito beckoned.

"Her room is what was bathroom. The toilet and sink remains but everything else was renovated for her to live here more comfortably. The floors are tiled for example. They are also padded because they are slippery." Kito explained. "She has fun sliding around. I made sure she wouldn't run into anything that would hurt her or brake." Iga whistled quietly. "Quite a set up boy. Reminds me of Tetsu's." The man exclaimed. Kito cocked his head as he laid River into her tub.

"Hayami Tetsu? I didn't know he lived with mutio." He said as he turned to a monitor. "He's married to one and has a few children, one of which is your age." Iga said with a deadpanned look. Kito snapped his head towards Iga, a astonished look of confusion on his face. "I didn't know. He never mentioned it. He helped build this place. But he never brought anyone with him. Always alone." Kito said his face going into it's sad-foxish style. "He started to come less when I brought people here to have a home. The cities are crowded and dangerous. Soon, we built this, and he only visits for seed and some food."

Iga frowned. "He's become solitary." He stated. "It may hurt him." Kito shook his head. "He we send him away with medicine. He's perfectly healthy when he arrives here, though, the rest of his family, I can only guess." Iga took another look at Kito's room. Their didn't seem to be a bed. Thair was a table in a corner that was opposite to the tanks. The seating was a kind of cushioned bench that angle into the corners. It had a tank resting on a shelf built into the back rests. The Iga spotted what looked like a large basket with sheets. "And of course you wouldn't sleep in a bed." The man exclaimed. Kito smiled. "I sleep in a sand bed. The basket is made to hold the sand and the sheet separates me from the sand so I don't get dirty. I like sleeping in the sand because it shifts, it's soft, and it absorbs the heat from your body."

Iga shrugged. "... So what will you do with us?" He asked giving up with patently waiting for Kito's decision. Kito shrugged. "Come and go as you please I guess. I'm just the head of the military department. Yeah, I have a lot of influence here, I helped build the place, but I'm not THE leader, just a leader." Came his reply. Iga bowed and declared his diparture before leaving for his quarters.

It had be agreed upon the rest of the _Rig_'s leaders that the Blues could act as another way for them to trade and gain recourses. The _rig_ could send it's freight drones to hold the trading good. Captain Iga agreed upon the condition that they would act as the sub's main supply base. The Harborers agreed upon the conditions and offered to refit the ships grampus with non-depleting weapons such as concussion cannons the next time the Ryuoh came around. Iga gave them schematics to the grampus and in a short while left with the trading cargo.


End file.
